Beyond My Reach
by Light1
Summary: Lisa faces a problem she never expected to have.
1. Chapter 1

**Beyond My Reach**

Disclaimer: Castlevania belongs to konami not me. I am making £0.00 out of this fic, it is written purely because I have a burning need to create. Although I would like to own Alucard . . . then he'd be mine.

Rating: PG-13

Setting: Pre-animated series.

Authoress note: Lisa faces a problem she never expected to have.

Lisa had always thought her and her husband's difference in species would cause them some problems. Nothing they couldn't overcome, but still, she had expected there to be problems. Her knowledge of her husband came, at first, from legends and myth, and so she had thought they could never take an afternoon walk together. She was delighted when she was proven wrong, though she was less delighted when her husband had laughed at her for twenty minutes for thinking a ball of gas burning billions of light-years away would hurt him.

As their relationship developed the problems, she thought they would have didn't materialise, instead they got a bunch of new ones.

She had assumed that after they married, they would never have children. She had been a little disappointed at the thought; she had always assumed she would have children, though it had never been a primary desire of hers. She contentedly gave up on that idea when she said, "I do," and went about her new life in a happy bubble surrounded by knowledge, love and exhilaration. Until the day when she realised, she'd thrown up every morning for the last week and it probably wasn't food poisoning or a stomach infection.

The absolute fear on her husband's face when she told him had been upsetting to witness. But it quickly became apparent that he wasn't dreading the addition of a child, it terrified him she wouldn't survive the pregnancy.

Apparently, the two species could interbreed. However, it was unlikely that the pregnancy and/or the mother would survive. Initially, her husband had wanted to end the pregnancy, he hadn't believed in their child in those days and had seen it only as a threat to her. She'd laughed his concerns off and protected the life inside her from its father. She had stopped laughing when the growing infant kicked and broke two of her ribs. She had panicked when the bruising became undeniable and the risk of internal damage became all too real.

Fortunately, her husband was not without means and called upon creatures of myth, fairies and fey. Their expertise in magical healing was amazing to behold, and if she hadn't been on the edge of death every time her unborn son moved inside her, she'd have been taking notes.

The birth had come closer to ending her life than she had expected. She'd known from the pregnancy that the birth was going to be difficult, but when at six months her son decided he wanted out and started tearing her apart in his efforts to escape. Well, say that she wasn't keen to repeat the event. Though that was not something she was going to have to worry about, the fey, despite being incredible were not so incredible as to bring her through the birth without permeant damage. The damage that meant she would not carry any more children.

She had woken up three days after the birth of her son and had been happy.

She had assumed that after the birth everything would be fine, especially when her husband came to her with the tiny infant alive and swaddled in his arms. He handed the boy to her and Lisa had wept, she'd never expected to feel this kind of love.

Then her son broke her arm.

The infant had turned, looked up at her with bright golden eyes and smiled, something no three days old should be able to manage. His wide grin revealed just one way her husband had come through in their son. She smiled back, and he wiggled in delight, pudgy legs kicking, tearing through the swaddling cloth as if it were tissue paper and hitting her radius.

Luckily, the fey were still on hand and had healed her arm in days rather than weeks.

But the incident revealed a problem she had never even thought possible.

Lisa couldn't pick up her son.

Her husband's heritage meant the infant was strong enough to do actual damage to her, and he was too young to understand this. If a happy wriggle could break her bones, it worried her what a tantrum might do. So, she couldn't risk picking him up.

Having been an aspiring doctor/midwife for the collection of villages around her old home, she was used to hearing mothers complain about not having a spare moment, not having enough help and being unable to put their child, or children down to get anything else done. She had always sympathised with these women and she still did, but it was harder for her now.

"At least breastfeeding isn't an issue," she muttered walking in on her husband feeding their son. He had opened a cut on his thumb for their boy to suckle, and the infant seemed perfectly happy to live this way. Her husband looked up at her and winced.

"Thankfully not," he said. "Though we should consider solid foods soon."

"He's barely a month old," Lisa said, coming to her husband's side and resting her fingers gently on her son's head. "He doesn't even have a name yet."

"He's growing fast," Vlad muttered.

"Perhaps milk?" she offered, stroking soft blonde hair.

"Tried it, he threw it up," Vlad leaned back and showed her a portion of his cape which was very marked. Lisa snorted.

"I wish I had seen that," she couldn't keep the wistful tone out of her voice. "I feel like I'm missing so much." Vlad shuffled their boy into his other arm. The infant was mostly asleep by this point. His now free arm he wrapped around Lisa's waist.

"I'm sorry, love," he said. He glanced at the sleeping infant. "He's a bloated thing," he handed the sleeping infant to her. "It should be fine." Lisa smiled and took their boy from her husband.

"I never thought I'd morn not being able to change him, or wash him, feed him," her voice caught as she spoke. "But I do."

"You're not missing much with the changing part," her husband pulled a face but kept a watchful eye on his wife and child. "The smell makes my eyes water."

"Regardless," Lisa mumbled.

"The bathing is interesting, he seems to both love and loathes the water," her husband smiled. "Struggles something fierce but laughs the entire time."

"Tell me next time," Lisa said. "I can at least watch."

"You want to watch me drown our boy?" Vlad said. Lisa rolled her eyes.

"I don't want to miss more than I have to," she weighed the child in her arms. "Is he bigger?"

"I think so," Vlad said. "He's growing ludicrously fast."

"He's barely a month," Lisa repeated her words from earlier. "But he looks three months if not older." Her husband shrugged.

"I've never known one to live," he said. "I've heard stories about half breeds but never have I come across one. Perhaps this is normal? He's not showing signs of illness? Little shit eats almost constantly."

"Don't swear in front of him," Lisa muttered.

"He's asleep," her husband grumbled and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes for a moment before resuming watching his wife and child. "Besides its accurate."

"No, it isn't," she cooed at her sleeping son. "He's my angel."

"So, he's yours when he's behaved, I see how it is." Her husband smiled. "You know he broke the crib again last night."

"I thought you reinforced it?" Lisa said.

"I did," Vlad laughed. "He's going to be very strong when he's older."

"He's strong now," Lisa said, unable to stop her heartbeat picking up as her son fidgeted in his sleep. "He's going to fuss." She handed him back to her husband.

"I told you he's nothing but trouble," his words did not match the look of affection on his face. "If you're hungry again, I'm going to end up looking like a raisin." Lisa snorted at the image in her mind.

"That would be an impressive feat for him to accomplish," she watched with soft eyes as her husband reopened the injury to his thumb and fed their son again. She only stopped when she felt his eyes on her.

"I truly am sorry, love," he said.

"It cannot be helped," she tried to shrug, but it felt disingenuous. "But as soon as he's old enough to control his strength a bit, I'm going to cling to him for at least a month, possibly longer."

"He's going to end up spoiled," her husband muttered. "But while he is growing fast, it's still going to be some time before you can ruin him with far too much attention."

"It won't ruin him," Lisa said. "Besides, you cannot say that to me, I've seen you put him down all of once since he was born."

"It's different when I do it," Vlad said.

"What rubbish," Lisa smiled. "If anyone is ruining the boy, it's you."

"Slander," Vlad said. "But my point remains it will be some time before you can shower him with your glorious motherly affection, I think it might help if you had something to connect you to the boy now."

"You've got something in mind?" Lisa had recognised her husband's tone.

"I do, I think you should give him his name." Lisa swallowed the lump that rapidly formed in her throat.

"You're just saying that so you don't have to think of one," she choked out. Her husband blustered briefly at the accusation.

"I have several very fine suggestions, but I think this would be a splendid opportunity for you to connect." Lisa couldn't help but laugh. Her husband raised an eyebrow at her.

"This reminds me of when children bring home lost animals, parents stop them from naming it because when you name it you become attached." She laughed louder. "I'm already attached."

"If you would rather…" her husband started.

"No," she blurted. "No, no, I'd love to name our son." She smiled widely. "I'll give it all my attention."

**End Chapter One **

In my head, it has always been Drac who named Adrian, not sure why but it has. Then I started writing this.

a

Thank you for reading, please review, I'd love to hear what you think of the fic.

For information on published works and upcoming projects, release dates, as well as weekly blogs, check out www . katiemariewriter . co . uk


	2. Chapter 2

**Beyond My Reach**

Disclaimer: Castlevania belongs to konami not me. I am making £0.00 out of this fic, it is written purely because I have a burning need to create. Although I would like to own Alucard . . . then he'd be mine.

Rating: PG-13

Setting: Pre-animated series.

Authoress note: Lisa faces a problem she never expected to have.

**Chapter Two**

Never had Lisa's mind been more of a blank than when her husband asked her to choose a name for their son. Before this, she had had several suggestions, but she wasn't sure if they would fit, for as much as she loved her son, she didn't feel connected to him; she didn't feel she knew him, one of the many downsides of not being able to hold and dote on her baby.

So, she announced her intention to effectively stalk her husband and son until she could reach a decision. She had imagined it as a gentle bonding experience for the three of them, spending the days together, enjoying their son. Much to her disappointment, it didn't seem to work out that way.

"He's an infant, you can't pick him up by his leg!" she said as her husband did exactly that and their infant son squealed in delight.

"He loves it," Vlad muttered absently, more invested in looking for the book he was after than her nagging or their infants' squeals. "Bit weird."

"What's weird is that your doing it, not that he seems to delight in it," Lisa grumbled. Her husband made a satisfying sound on finding his book and put their son back down on the pile he had scaled despite his infancy.

"You're not even watching him!" Lisa squeaked as the pile wobbled dangerously. "I can't believe I thought you were spoiling him, you're neglectful!"

"I'm not neglecting him," Vlad said, leafing through the small book. "I'm researching."

"He shouldn't be crawling at this age," Lisa said. "He's going to crack his skull." The book pile wobbled precariously, some topmost books beneath their boy gave way and slid down the pile, not unlike a sledge on a mountainside. Lisa rushed forward to catch her son before he could 'sledge' into the wall, but long clawed fingers beat her to it, lifting the infant up and out of danger.

"He's fine," Vlad said, "and what's more I found what I was looking for."

"Good for you," Lisa said, rubbing her temples and trying to will her heart to slow in her chest. It was taking a high level of self-control not to brain her husband.

"Before the little pain in the backside was born," Vlad started, Lisa tutted. "I did some research, I knew half breeds had occasionally survived pregnancy, despite the odds, and I was certain that I had in the collection a diary of one such survivor."

"A diary? By the mother?" Lisa perked up. Vlad shook his head.

"No, as far as I am aware you are the only mother to ever survive the pregnancy, this diary is from a nanny I suppose, someone who adopted the infant after the mother died. It didn't survive very long, but I remember thinking this might be useful."

"Wait, the infant didn't survive?" Lisa raised an eyebrow. Vlad shook his head.

"No, there were complications." He started towards the kitchen's Lisa following behind. "The pregnancies are difficult."

"I remember," Lisa said flatly.

"Most mothers did not have the help of such healers as you did, the babies grow inside their broken bodies, those mothers who survive long enough for their children to be born are rare and broken beyond measure. For a baby to grow inside something so decrepit… well."

"The babies don't grow… normally?" Lisa shuddered. Vlad shook his head.

"No, much is missing that should be present."

"You said nothing," Lisa said. Vlad shrugged.

"Had I told you, you would have worried and there was nothing you could do to affect it beyond relax and rest."

"Still..." Lisa trailed off. She didn't like that he'd kept such a thing secret from her, but she could understand why. "Don't the babies heal? The way you do."

"No, the vampiric ability to heal is still forming, trying to heal that much damage before birth, it causes other problems, like 'overheal' which is what I think happened to the one this diary talks about."

"Overheal?" Lisa said.

"Not a technical term," Vlad mumbled, looking at their son who was staring up at him with bright gold eyes. "The body knows when something is wrong if I broke my arm now or you did then our bodies would recognise this and fix it, then when the injury was resolved it would stop healing."

"And that one's body didn't know when to stop healing," Lisa gestured at the book. Vlad nodded.

"The poor wretch lived maybe a week from the sounds of it," he visibly tightened his grip on his son.

"So why are you reading it?" Lisa sighed. "Unless you try to depress us?"

"While it lived its surrogate mother experimented with fresh food, she mentions a few things that worked so I thought we'd give them a go before the little bloodsucker drains me dry." He smiled and pressed his face into their son, who grabbed his hair with chubby fingers.

"I doubt he could," Lisa said. Vlad pulled back from his son and smiled at her.

"True, but he is half you, so I doubt an entirely vampiric diet will do him any good in the long term," he said.

They entered the small kitchen, which much to Lisa's surprise was full of tiny purple imps. She'd come across the creatures a few times, effectively they were her husband's servants, they carried out minor tasks on demand and in return her husband let them live in the castle. The castle was a haven for them, and they had claimed the attics as their own. Though Vlad had told her he had the better end of the deal by far, imps ate insects and small pests that might damage the books in the libraries or the equipment in the laboratories, Lisa suspected he had a soft spot for them.

It had amused her endlessly when she first visited the castle and discovered that the fearsome lord was secretly a patron to every down and out 'monster' that passed through his territory. There were imps in the attics, wolf-men in the gardens, strange demonic cats in the libraries and tiny dragons made from water in the subterranean lakes. All of which lived rent-free at her husband's pleasure. It reminded her of her father, who for months had told her he would never have a cat, then when she brought a kitten home he doted on the adorable creature. Vlad was the same, proclaiming to dislike everything while secretly doating.

As they entered the kitchen the imps fled, all save one which flew up to rest on her husband's shoulder and speak with him briefly in a tone too high for her to hear it, let alone understand. Her husband smiled and nodded. The imp left.

"Right trouble," Vlad set their boy on the table. "You've got a choice here."

"Is that raw meat?" Lisa felt her lip curl, looking at the selection on the table.

"Maybe," Vlad said, trying to sound innocent.

"You can't let him eat that!" Lisa snapped. "He's an infant, his stomach won't be able to manage, it'll make him sick."

"Not according to this," Vlad held up the book.

"Stuff the book," Lisa muttered, marching forward and started pulling down pans. "If' we're doing this, then I'm cooking it."

"Very well but try to remember that you aren't cooking for a human infant, don't cook it to death," her husband said, sitting down at the table and gesturing to the small stove which suddenly lit. The diminutive fire blazing happily away. Lisa put some oil into a pan and started trying to sear the meat.

"You're overdoing it," Vlad's voice came from behind her after a few moments.

"No, I'm not," she said under her breath.

"You are, he'll hate it." Lisa was about to turn around and tell her husband to be quiet before she threw the pan at him when the small cooking fire abruptly went out. She sighed and turned, giving him what she hoped was a tired and disapproving look. At least he had the decency to look guilty before pointing at their infant son.

"He did it."

She couldn't help but laugh. Vlad stood up, deposited the child in her arms with a muttered: "hold this." Before taking over the preparation. Lisa shook her head and sat at the table, holding her boy up so he could see her face.

"Daddy's an asshole," she said. "Can you say, asshole?"

"Daddy is not an asshole, and it's father if you please," Vlad said, his back to his small family as he fussed.

"Daddy," Lisa grinned. "Da Da dada,"

"Stop teaching him nonsense words," Vlad said. "He's a Tepes, we speak properly."

"Da da, dada," Lisa continued, her son giggled in her hold, tiny legs kicking frantically, Lisa held him far enough away that there was no chance of him accidentally kicking her.

"You're a cruel woman," Vlad turned to face them, holding the cooling meat in his hands. "Here, feed your son."

"Don't sulk," Lisa said taking the meat from him, he'd broken it up into small pieces and had somehow cooled it to room temperature in moments. Show off. Her husband raised an eyebrow and sat next to her, watching carefully as she offered the food to their boy. The infant in question looked confused and stared at his father for guidance.

"Come on, Florin," Lisa tested a name she'd been holding onto for a while. It sounded wrong on her tongue. She offered the meat. The boy did nothing but stare at his father. "I think he wants you to do it."

"He's just confused," Vlad said. "Also, Florin?"

"I knew a Florin once, it's a pleasant name." She pushed the meat to her son's mouth and mimed eating. The boy just looked worried. "It's good," she said and ate a piece of the cool meat to show her son what to do. It was practically raw, and she fought her gag reflex. Still, her son looked to his father. After a moment, he reached for him.

"Alright trouble," Vlad muttered, taking him from Lisa who couldn't help the dejected sigh. "Open." On command, the baby opened his mouth wide and Vlad dropped a piece of meat in. "Close." Again, the order was obeyed.

"You really are showing off now," Lisa muttered.

"Just wait," her husband said. They waited, watching their boy who stared hard at them, then without warning spat the meat out with more force than Lisa had expected.

"Florin would never do that," Lisa said.

"He's not Florin," Vlad said in agreement. "Oh buggar." He held his son away as he suddenly tensed and vomited over himself.

"Meats a no for now then," he said when the sickness stopped.

"Oh, my poor boy," Lisa cooed as her son sobbed. She reached out to wipe his face as her husband held him.

"I think a bath before we attempt a second breakfast," he said.

**End Chapter Two **

In my head, it has always been Drac who named Adrian, not sure why but it has. Then I started writing this.

Thank you for reading, please review, I'd love to hear what you think of the fic.

For information on published works and upcoming projects, release dates, as well as weekly blogs, check out www . katiemariewriter . co . uk


	3. Chapter 3

**Beyond My Reach**

Disclaimer: Castlevania belongs to konami not me. I am making £0.00 out of this fic, it is written purely because I have a burning need to create. Although I would like to own Alucard . . . then he'd be mine.

Rating: PG-13

Setting: Pre-animated series.

Authoress note: Lisa faces a problem she never expected to have.

**Chapter Three**

While pregnant Lisa had imagined many things about her soon to be born son. She had found it odd that the parts she had looked forward to most were the dull chores of life, eating, sleeping, bathing, etc. She had been excited to feed her son, to put him down for sleep, and to bathe him. She had imagined softening the water with potions and cremes, scenting it and checking it wasn't too hot, before lowering her infant into the sweet-smelling basin and cleaning him of whatever grime he had accumulated. The whole affair had seemed almost reverent and comforting to her.

That was not what she was witnessing now.

She was getting used to her husband ruining her image of parenthood. So, it was not that much of a surprise when instead of sweet-smelling soft water in a basin her husband and son were both immersed in the chill hard water of the subterranean areas beneath the castle.

"A flooded dungeon is not what I imagined," she muttered.

"Before you start," her husband called to her from a little way out into the water. "I tried the whole basin thing, and it was a disaster."

"This is a disaster," Lisa muttered under her breath.

"I heard that," Vlad called back, sounding far too amused for Lisa's liking. "The brat kicked a hole into the copper basin within five minutes of him being in the damned thing, flooded half the kitchen out."

"You're exaggerating," Lisa said.

"Regardless it was a mess," he called lifting their overly amused infant son out of the water holding him aloft much to his delight before lowering him back into the water at speed. The child howled, Lisa raised an eyebrow. He was far too developed for his age, at a month he shouldn't be able to do most of what he did, he should still be new. He shouldn't be howling with glee every time his father manhandled him.

"Since when do you worry about mess," Lisa couldn't help but smile at the laughter of her son, despite her concerns over his development. "You must have an army of invisible cleaners. How else do you explain it?"

"Explain what?"

"That this castle isn't covered in dust, that whenever I finish with a book it magically returns to its shelf, why are my clothes always clean and in the wardrobe in the morning?"

"The castle," her husband started wading back over to her. "The castle doesn't enjoy being untidy."

"The castle?" Lisa raised an eyebrow. "This building, this machine doesn't 'like' being untidy?"

"It's more than a building or a machine," Vlad breathed. "I thought you might have noticed that by now?"

"Yes," Lisa admitted as her husband settled at the edge of the water, their child in his arms. The infant delighting in creating as much noise and splash as possible. "I had noticed that there was something I didn't think you were telling me. Do you mean to say this place is alive? You expect me to believe that a building is alive?"

"Not in the traditional sense, but yes," Vlad said. "I imbue it with…" he was interrupted when their child decided his father was not paying him enough attention and started trying to hurl water at him.

"You're being remiss," Lisa smiled. She reached a hand into the water, wincing at the chill, and cupped a handful of water onto her boy's head. Her son grinned at her. "He likes water so cold?"

"I doubt he feels it the way you might," Vlad breathed. "If he's anything like me, he'll hardly notice it. But even if he feels it, he doesn't seem to mind it."

"Is there a reason you're in there with him? Or did you just fancy a wash?" Lisa flicked water at her husband.

"Well, being only a month old his ability to swim is… well, it's rubbish." Vlad grinned at his son, who laughed. "Your rubbish." The boy laughed again, grabbing hands, reaching for his father who held him at his waist. "You like being rubbish, well fantastic, low expectations for you it is."

"I didn't mean for you to let him swim," Lisa said. "But most parents don't bathe with their child every single time they need a bath.

"It's easier," Vlad said. "When I attempted to wash him at the edge of the water, I ended up soaked through."

"I suppose this lays to bed the rumours of your people being harmed by water," Lisa made a gesture at her half-submerged naked husband. Vlad laughed.

"My people are all different, some are harmed more easily than others, those of us that are more durable lose our vulnerability to water first." He ducked abruptly under the water taking their son with him but returned to the surface a moment later.

"Did you have to take him under too?" Lisa's heart was hammering in her chest.

"He's rather… wriggly at the moment, it wouldn't be safe to ask you to hold him just to get my hair out of my eyes."

"I suppose," Lisa couldn't help the sadness in her voice. Her husband watched her for a long moment.

"Next time we'll set up one of the larger bathes in the castle, warm the water, and we can try together."

"Seems like a lot of hassle," Lisa mumbled. "Just so I can help bathe him."

"You'd get hypothermia in here," Vlad gestured to the flooded dungeon. "Besides who says it's just for you, I rather enjoy bathing with you." He deliberately leered at her. She put her hand on his head and pushed down. She knew she couldn't push him under if he didn't let her, but it was one of her favourite things about him was that he played with her, often 'letting' her overpower him, or pretending to be wounded if she struck him in jest. He disappeared under the water, making a fuss as he went. This time, though he held their son above the water, the boy grinned and laughed.

Lisa couldn't help but join him.

"You think mummy should drown daddy? He is a brute, making such comments." She grinned at their son, who babbled at her.

"I suppose you're right," she said. "He is a kind of useful." She pulled her hand off her husband's head and out of the water. Her fingers were numb.

"You are cruel," Vlad said, mock upset. "Drowning me because I said you were beautiful."

"You did not call me beautiful, you made crude insinuations about bathing with me," her smile ruined her harsh tone. "And you have your son to thank for your continued existence, he told me to let you up because you were useful." Vlad looked at the infant he held.

"You, boy, have inherited your mother's cruelty," he said.

"Don't call him boy," Lisa said. "Or brat, or any of the other unflattering names you have given him."

"I will stop calling him such when you give him a name," Vlad said. "A good one, mind you."

"I will," Lisa said. "But it's difficult."

"That it is," her husband said as he stood up and stepped out of the water. He walked to the pile of towels that were not here when they arrived. Lisa pointedly did not wonder about where they had come from. She watched her husband wrap their boy in enough fabric that he was effectively trapped. "Hold this a moment." He handed him to her. "Tell me if he gets wriggly again." She watched as he dried and dressed for a moment before looking at their boy.

He was beautiful, despite being only a month old, his hair was white blonde and curling, though now it was stuck to his head in a wet mess. His eyes were also golden as he stared at his mother, suddenly serious.

"Your beautiful," she smiled softly at him. "My little boy." Her son continued to stare at her, his expression serious. It felt like he was looking at her and seeing her, she was being weighed and when he smiled at her, she knew he had not found her wanting. She leaned down and kissed his head, listening to him gurgle while she did so.

"Adrian," she said to him when she pulled back. She felt her husband's hand on her shoulder as he came to stand behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back into him. "Our Adrian."

"Adrian," Vlad repeated. "It suits him." Lisa leaned back against him, turning her head as she kissed his chin and for the first time since she'd given birth, held her infant son without fear as her husband held her.

"Our family," she whispered.

**End Fic **

In my head, it has always been Drac who named Adrian, not sure why but it has. Then I started writing this.

a

Thank you for reading, please review, I'd love to hear what you think of the fic.

For information on published works and upcoming projects, release dates, as well as weekly blogs, check out www . katiemariewriter . co . uk


End file.
